Blog

East vs. West

Rutgers will find itself in a powerhouse “East” division with Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State when the school moves to the Big Ten in time for the 2014 football season, according to a published report.

ESPN, citing unnamed league sources, said that the only remaining issue in determining the two seven-team divisions when Rutgers and Maryland join next year is whether Indiana or Purdue are placed in the East or West.

Rutgers would be placed in a division along with Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and either Indiana or Purdue.

The “West” division would consist of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin and either Purdue or Indiana.

Those division alignment would be true to commissioner Jim Delany’s announced intention to arrange the divisions along geographical and time zone lines. The problem with the latter is that the Big Ten will have eight schools in the Eastern time zone and six in the Central.

A nine-game league schedule will begin in 2016 (six games within the division, with three crossover games), though the possibility of playing 10 conference games is still being discussed, according to ESPN.

Whether the divisions will be known as East and West or renamed has yet to be determined.